Diagnostic Stewardship in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Health Policy

Background:

• The emergence of COVID-19, a novel coronavirus disease, in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 led to a global pandemic.
• The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global health emergency and subsequently a pandemic, highlighting the urgent need for control measures.
• Effective control strategies include early detection, isolation, prompt treatment, and contact tracing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the critical role of Diagnostic Stewardship (DS) in managing COVID-19 testing.
• To outline how DS can strategically allocate and engage testing resources.
• To highlight the goal of DS in improving clinical care and conserving healthcare resources.

Main Methods:

• The study emphasizes the strategic allocation and engagement of existing and new testing resources.
• Diagnostic Stewardship focuses on selecting the appropriate test for each patient.
• The approach involves timely testing to ensure accurate and clinically relevant results.

Main Results:

• Implementing Diagnostic Stewardship ensures the right test is used for the right patient at the right time.
• Accurate and clinically relevant results are generated, leading to better clinical care outcomes.
• Effective utilization of testing resources helps conserve healthcare resources.

Conclusions:

• Diagnostic Stewardship is essential for the strategic, effective, efficient, and safe use of COVID-19 testing resources.
• DS optimizes clinical care by ensuring appropriate testing and timely results.
• The principles of Diagnostic Stewardship are vital for managing pandemics and conserving healthcare resources.